Sep 9, 2021
This song has a special place in my heart. When I was younger, my parents would often play music in the house. As a result, I have always associated specific songs with my parents. One evening, while listening to music with my father, "The Boxer" by Simon and Garfunkel came on. Something in him changed. Up to that moment the music had served as a background, but when this song came on, his face lit up and he seemed to have entered in. It was as if the music expressed something he was feeling inside and spoke for him. You should know that he was not the most expressive man, so when I saw this happening I paid close attention. When he got to the last verse, " In the corner stands a boxer", he was completely in the song and I could tell that verse was special for him. It was at that moment I had thought "on no, I am going to have to sing this song at his funeral one day!" I have never had a thought like that before and it was not a topic I thought about often. But there it was, I had no say about it. It felt like a heavy responsibility and would occasionally come to mind the years following that evening. On May 25th, 2021 I lost my father to a rather quick illness. I was by his side when he passed. In those final hours I simply touched him and sang. This was one of the last songs he had heard . A few days later, accompanied by my two brothers, we sang this song for him at his service. It was a fitting send off for a wonderful man loved by many. When choosing the first video to release for my Transient Sessions, a new project and form of expression for me, "The. Boxer" seemed to be a fitting choice.